Chapter 184 – Boom! 4

Chapter 184 – Boom! 4

At the command to break off a Switch, Cha Juhyeok bowed his head and left.

Chairman Lee sank deep into the sofa and brought his Cellphone to his ear.

His gaze was fixed on Chief Jo, whose eyes and face were flushed red.

Eventually, when the other party answered the phone, Chairman Lee’s closed lips opened.

At that moment, Chief Jo looked wobbly, as if he were underwater.

Chairman Lee felt his concentration blurring and gritted his teeth.

And he said,

“It’s me. How are you doing?”

-Chairman Lee? Where are you? There are a lot of rumors going around. Are you doing well?

“Of course, I’ve been enjoying the fresh air, eating three meals a day, and sleeping soundly. It’s like living the life of a hermit. I need to hand someone over there. For embezzlement. There are other things besides that. I’ll hand over the data tomorrow morning…”

Chairman Lee, who had trailed off, asked Chief Jo.

“How many years would be good?”

Chief Jo fell to his knees once again.

“Chairman Lee. Just once! Just once, please save me! If you save me just once…”

Chairman Lee cut him off.

“Eight years should be fine. By then, my children will have had their own kids, and my grandchildren will be at an age where they’re full of mischief. Prosecutor General, eight years would be good.”

-It’s possible if there’s evidence.

“Alright, I’ll contact you again.”

After ending the call, Chairman Lee gestured to the Bodyguard.

“Take him away.”

“Ch-Chairman, please save me! Save…”

Chief Jo tried to crawl and desperately grab Chairman Lee’s feet, but he was restrained by two Bodyguards and dragged out to the entrance.

“Chairman!”

His voice was desperate, but it didn’t change Chairman Lee’s expression.

Woojin briefly looked at the entrance where Chief Jo had disappeared.

Instead of attempted murder, he was being charged with embezzlement and other crimes.

He could guess Chairman Lee’s thoughts.

He was thinking about Shinhwa Group’s image.

If the attempt at patricide became known to the world, Shinhwa Group would inevitably falter due to various algorithms.

But his children would definitely be punished.

If that happened…

At that moment, Chairman Lee looked at the two people in handcuffs who had snuck into the house and said to Woojin.

“I’d like those guys to be considered petty thieves. Can you make that happen?”

“I will do that.”

“Yes, I’ll ask for a favor.”

Chairman Lee stood up, put his hands behind his back, and muttered as he walked towards the entrance.

“This old man can’t even rest.”

Then he said to the Bodyguards.

“Pack your bags. We’re going to Hannam-dong.”

***

After Chairman Lee left the Villa, Woojin put the two Thugs in the car and headed to the Police Station.

“W-what’s going to happen to us now…?”

At one Thug’s question, Woojin looked at the rearview mirror.

Woojin’s calm voice flowed into their ears.

“As you heard at the Villa, you’re being arrested as thieves.”

At Woojin’s words, they couldn’t figure out Chairman Lee’s intentions at all.

He treated the people who tried to kill him as mere thieves.

If it were them, even grinding them up wouldn’t have been enough.

But the way Chairman Lee looked at them was like…

How should I put it?

It was a gaze that didn’t even consider them as insects.

Towards Chief Jo, whom they had trusted and followed so much, there was no anger, not even a hint of it, just a complete lack of regret, like throwing away trash.

Is Chairman Lee truly a person incomprehensible by their common sense?

They tried to kill such a person.

“It would be good to stay in prison for a long time.”

At Woojin’s words, a look of bewilderment appeared in their eyes.

“Staying in prison for a long time will be safer. If Chairman Lee’s mind changes, you will experience firsthand what hell is like.”

When they said nothing, Woojin continued.

“So, I’m telling you, it would be best to confess all the crimes you’ve committed so far. Try to stay there for at least a year.”

They had no choice but to fall into deep thought.

***

It was past six in the morning when Chairman Lee arrived at his Hannam-dong home.

No one was home, but it felt as if Lee Jeongho, Lee Jeongmi, and the youngest daughter, Lee Jeonghye, were sitting on the sofa.

“I’m tired.”

Chairman Lee went straight into the bedroom.

He lay down immediately and closed his eyes.

“That Jeongcheol fellow…”

The name that escaped Chairman Lee’s lips was Lee Hyerim’s father.

No more words came out, and his stiff muscles slowly relaxed like ink spreading in water.

His chest, filling with air, repeatedly swelled and deflated, and soon he fell asleep.

At that time.

In his office, Lee Jeongho paced back and forth by the window.

His lips were dry, and his pale face looked like a candle.

“Damn it…”

News came that Chief Jo had been transferred to the prosecution.

However, he was charged with embezzlement and various other crimes, not attempted murder.

He must have been caught planning…

“Damn it, what’s going on?”

Did Chief Jo take all the blame alone?

That makes no sense.

Father figured out the Night Visitor’s intentions.

It was impossible.

It was incredibly difficult to understand Father’s intentions.

The important thing was whether Father knew that he was the one who gave Chief Jo the instructions or not.

That was the blind spot.

Just then, a thug in a neat suit entered with a knock.

“Chief Jo is refusing all visitors.”

“What?”

Lee Jeongho frowned deeply and put on his coat.

“I’ll go myself.”

The Thug replied with an awkward expression.

“He said he wouldn’t meet even if the CEO came.”

“Damn it!”

Lee Jeongho threw down his nameplate.

Bang!

Not only that, everything he grabbed was broken and shattered.

The Thug bowed his head and waited for Lee Jeongho to stop.

“Haa… Haa….”

Lee Jeongho, who had been throwing things, irritably loosened his tie.

Then the Thug spoke.

“He’s entered the Chairman’s residence.”

Lee Jeongho rubbed his face with one hand.

“That… the Attending Physician Father changed, see him again. Find out if he’s ever been diagnosed with dementia. Tell him it won’t be fun if he lies.”

“Understood.”

***

2 PM.

Woojin was looking at the building forests from the Rooftop.

Cha Juhyeok stood beside him.

“What should I say…”

“Congratulations on becoming Chief.”

“It’s all thanks to Director Shin Woojin. Thank you.”

Cha Juhyeok hadn’t quite grasped it yet.

It felt like I had been walking on thin ice, but before I knew it, I had become the Chief of SH Strategy.

And I did it by jumping two steps at a time.

Cha Juhyeok subtly glanced at Woojin.

With his eyes closed as if feeling the blowing wind, he looked like he was in a commercial.

With that face, he caught criminals and became the Young Lady Lee Hyerim’s sword, helping her rise steadily.

Is that all?

He was good at reading people, like a fortune teller.

He even predicted the future, what he did yesterday, and what he would do today.

And most of it was correct.

Sometimes I even wondered if he had supernatural power, but he always called it observation.

As Woojin remained silent, Cha Juhyeok opened his mouth to break the awkwardness.

“Are you off today, by any chance?”

He was referring to his police work.

“No.”

“Ah, I see. You must have taken a leave of absence.”

“I resigned and came.”

“Excuse me?”

“My resignation.”

“Ah…”

Cha Juhyeok forced an awkward smile.

He was someone he could never quite figure out.

It seemed like he did everything he wanted to do.

Cha Juhyeok soon smiled faintly.

Indeed, it was a waste for someone like him to be an officer.

He couldn’t believe how dumbfounded he was when he first heard he became an officer.

Cha Juhyeok asked cautiously.

Are you perhaps thinking of something else to do?

Yes, I’m about to go do that now.

Woojin called Lee Hyerim.

Can I see you in front of the company in an hour? I’m thinking of that Pancake place.

How should I put it… I feel like I lost to Pancake.

See you later.

After the call, Woojin spoke to Cha Juhyeok.

From now on, I need you to identify the weaknesses of the CEOs and Presidents of Shinhwa Group affiliates, as well as their Major Shareholders.

It was like creating a profile.

More detailed than what Chief Jo did. Don’t worry about personnel or money.

Cha Juhyeok bowed his head to Woojin.

Understood.

The same went for Woojin.

* * *

An hour later, Woojin was savoring a delicious Pancake while facing Lee Hyerim.

She rested her chin on her hand and watched Woojin, then asked.

Is it good?

An unchanging taste is always right. Oh, wow… look how moist it is.

Woojin put down the fork he was holding and said.

Do you know that Chief Jo has been prosecuted?

Of course. I heard it was for embezzlement, but it seems it will take more time to get the full details.

Woojin shook his head.

On the surface, it’s like that, but the story is very different.

Lee Hyerim’s eyes widened slightly.

Different?

Even though she was puzzled, she looked at Woojin with renewed surprise once again.

She knows the stories of the Shinhwa Group’s bloodline better than he does.

For some reason… Woojin opened his mouth.

“Yes. Actually…”

Woojin decided that she needed to know the truth and began to explain.

Woojin’s story was simple and he concisely summarized the main points.

However, her expression was the exact opposite of Woojin’s calm face.

She unconsciously brought her hand to her mouth.

“Even to that extent…”

She had known them since childhood and thought she knew them well.

She thought they were people who would do anything for shares, regardless of what happened to others.

But she had never imagined such a case.

“Completely insane. Insane. How could a child…”

Woojin nodded as if in agreement.

The reason for informing her of this fact was to make her realize that the people she had to deal with were beyond imagination.

The Crucial Moment Woojin mentioned at the street stall was about her mental state.

The brain always tries to maintain comfort.

It constantly whispers to avoid stress and continually creates rationalizations to not do difficult things.

It’s the same with human relationships.

“Hyerim, more eyes will be on you than before. Even if it’s hard or you’re tired, you have to accept it calmly.”

“I’ll be watched?”

“Yes. That’s how it is. It can’t be helped.”

That will be the Crucial Moment for Hyerim.

“Really… will it be like that?”

Woojin nodded as if giving an affirmation.

“Chairman Lee knows that he doesn’t have much time.”

Just then, Lee Hyerim received a phone call.

her secretary.

She had been quietly listening to her cellphone, and then she finished the call.

And she looked at Woojin.

“Grandfather seems to be looking for me.”

Woojin took a sip of his caramel macchiato through a straw and stood up.

“Hyerim, get me a job. As your chief secretary.”

“Huh?”

“You’ll enroll me in the four major insurance plans, right?”

“You’re a police…”

“I quit and became unemployed. So… I’ll assume you’re hiring me.”

Woojin smiled slightly.

“Let’s go, Young Lady. I will serve you with all my heart and soul from your side.”